Health Testing

Cardiac evaluation is another part of our breeding assessment. Heart disease can have significant effects on quality of life and longevity, so cardiac status is considered alongside family history, age, overall health, and veterinary findings when evaluating a dog for breeding.

Patellar evaluation helps assess stability of the knee joint and overall orthopedic soundness. We consider patella results together with structure, movement, size, family history, and the individual dog rather than viewing any single result in isolation.

No health test can guarantee that a dog will never develop a medical condition. Testing gives breeders more information, but pedigree knowledge and long-term observation remain equally important.

We pay close attention to longevity, temperament, reproductive history, recurring health concerns within a family, and the consistency of the dogs behind each pedigree. Our adults also have access to both an established general veterinary practice and reproductive specialty care.

Our goal is to use every tool available to make informed breeding decisions that support health, soundness, consistency, and the long-term future of the Miniature Wirehaired Dachshund.

Our goal is not simply to produce dogs that “pass” testing. It is to make informed breeding decisions that support health, soundness, and consistency across generations.

We do not rely on Embark as the foundation of our breeding decisions because the testing most important to our program is not adequately represented by a broad commercial DNA panel.

For Miniature Wirehaired Dachshunds, we place greater value on Lafora status, cardiac evaluation, patellas, pedigree, family history, longevity, structure, temperament, and overall soundness.

A long list of “clear” results may look comprehensive, but it does not replace breed-relevant testing, veterinary evaluation, or deep pedigree knowledge. To us, relying on a broad panel without addressing the issues that matter most can be a little like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet hole.

We prefer targeted testing, direct veterinary evaluation, and meaningful pedigree information over collecting results simply because they are easy to market.

For us, health testing is not about the longest report. It is about using the information that actually matters.

Lafora disease is an inherited, late-onset form of myoclonic epilepsy that is especially relevant in Miniature Wirehaired Dachshunds. Because symptoms may not appear until around five years of age or later, an affected dog can appear healthy and may already have been bred before the condition is recognized.

Possible signs can include:

• sudden jerking or myoclonic movements
• sensitivity to flashing lights or sudden sounds
• seizures
• loss of coordination
• visual changes
• progressive neurological decline

Lafora is inherited as an autosomal recessive condition. Dogs may test as:

• Clear — does not carry the mutation
• Carrier — carries one copy but is not affected
• Affected — carries two copies and is at risk of developing the disease

Because Lafora is late-onset, DNA testing before breeding is essential for making informed pairing decisions and preventing affected puppies.

For our program, Lafora status is considered before every pairing is planned and is evaluated alongside pedigree, health history, and the long-term goals of the line.